1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a wireless network. More particularly, the present invention relates to a mobile terminal and method of notifying an access router of an Internet protocol (IP) address of the mobile terminal in a wireless network, which can automatically configure a reliable IP version 6 (IPv6) address and use the IPv6 address.
2. Description of Related Art
Generally, an Internet protocol version 6 (IPv6)-based network has been used for data communications between mobile terminals and communication nodes in a wired/wireless communication network. Since IPv6 corresponds to an address system of 32 bits, addresses which may be allocated for use with the Internet are increasing and are becoming scarce in the IPv6-based network. Accordingly, Internet engineering task force (IETF) standardized IPv6 using an address system of 128 bits.
Similar to the description above, since it is difficult that a user manually configures an IP address as IP address systems increase. Efforts are required to be exerted for automatically allocating the IP address via interactions between mobile terminals and communication nodes in the IPv6-based network.
An IPv6 address is generally allocated in mobile terminals according to three methods as described below. Specifically, the three methods correspond to i) a static configuration method configuring network information in each host by hand, ii) a dynamic configuration method providing a host with network information by using a network protocol such as a dynamic host configuration protocol (DHCP) according to a request, and iii) an automatic configuration method configuring network information according to a policy determined by a rule between all hosts in a network.
The dynamic configuration method is also referred to as a “statefull auto-configuration method” using a server such as the DHCP, and obtaining an address, where any one of the addresses which may be allocated in the server is allocated to a host side when a host side makes a request for an address to a DHCP server. Accordingly, the server is required to have a large-scale database, and be strictly managed.
The automatic configuration method is also referred to as a “stateless auto-configuration method” which a host side spontaneously generates an address. Specifically, the automatic configuration method generates an address using interface identification (ID) information of the host side, prefix information obtained from a router, or well-known prefix information. Therefore, the host is responsible for generating and allocating the address of the host.
However, since it is required that the access router in the network should manage all IP addresses which a mobile terminal uses, a problem may occur in operating the network when the access router is unaware of an automatically-configured IP address although the mobile terminal configures the IP address spontaneously and automatically.
Therefore, a mobile terminal and method of notifying an access router of an IP address of the mobile terminal in a wireless network, which can automatically configure a reliable IPv6 address, and use the IPv6 address is required.